FOR Bale Defence Industries' (BDI), reaching the final of the prestigious Australian Training Awards' 2015 Small Employer of the Year award was testimony to the firm's 36-year relationship with local high schools, TAFE, and vocational colleges.
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The Port Macquarie company was represented at the ceremony in Hobart last Thursday night by manager Link Bale.
The national runners-up award follows BDI's win in the small business category of the NSW Training Award in September.
Established in 1979 by Link Bale's father Bob, BDI uses cutting-edge machinery and software to design and manufacture a diverse range of equipment and ancillary products for Australia's defence forces.
Proudly local, the family-owned firm has a staff of 22, including three apprentices in engineering trades - the latest of 32 local tradesmen to gain their qualifications at BDI.
Bob Bale said the company relies heavily on the academic excellence of the students that it recruits from the district's high schools and vocational colleges.
"We place a lot of emphasis in recruiting locally, so making the finals of a national training award is a credit to our local schools and colleges, and to our training partner, Hunter Valley Training Company," he said. "The academic calibre of the students that come through our doors keeps improving year after year.
"You can have million-dollar machines, equipment and software, but you need the right people to get the best from them.
"So, before we offer an apprenticeship, we assess each trainee for two to three months to get a sense of their work ethic and thirst for knowledge.
"We know that our guys are our most important asset so we place great emphasis on recruiting good people and training them well. It's their skills that allow us to be so adaptive and innovative."
Hunter Valley Training Company has worked closely with BDI for more than 20 years.
Regional manager Grant Reeves ensures each apprentice's performance is satisfactory - in both the workplace and the classroom.
The Australian Training Awards are sponsored by the federal government and Minister for Vocational Education and Skills, Luke Hartsuyker attended.
He said the awards recognise the achievements of businesses, registered training organisations, and individuals in building Australia's workplace skills through excellence in vocational education and training.